Below is another item from HYee Auctions. I thought this deserved it's own post.
Ed Stevens was an up and coming 1st baseman with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1945 to 1947 until he was sent down to Montreal and eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. At one time he seemed destined to be a mainstay on the big club until a certain ballplayer came up. As you may know, Ed Stevens is known to be the person who lost his job to Jackie Robinson. He writes his story below about the fateful event.
HYee Auctions always has some great and fascinating sports collectibles. Whenever they put items up for sale I always find myself checking my bank account for some extra disposable income. Unfortunately, collectors with much more money than myself always seems to beat me. Usually by large margins. So, instead, I'm forced to window shop. Check out the over 1,000 items here. They cover everything from vintage Baseball, basketball, boxing and Americana. Heck, there's everything from a photo of Standing Bear to PT Barnum.
Below is a great original photograph of three famous Dodgers in tux's doing a dancing routine. Don Drysdale, Tommy Davis and Sandy Koufax sure look spiffy. Tommy and Sandy appear to be in the zone as they look flawless in their dancing shoes, but Don looks a little lost. Is he counting his steps afraid that he might look foolish next to his teammates? Maybe he is on the verge of losing the beat.
Dairy Queen sure sounds tasty right now. Can I have a couple of hot dogs and a Blizzard please? How about a couple of vintage 1956 premium statues of Dodger greats Roy Campanella and Pee Wee Reese? These white plastic 3 inch statues were given away to adoring fans with a purchase at the ice cream shop. They are fairly rare and these examples are in incredible shape.
I don't know if Jackie smoked, but I do know that being a spokesman for the tobacco industry back then was a highly sought after position. Below are two great original promotion photos of Jackie Robinson selling Chesterfield cigarettes. They date to the 1940's .
Last but not least is a photo of one of my all time favorite non-Dodger players, Robin Yount. He simply epitomized the virtues of class and hard work on and off the field. On top of that, this photo is the greatest action photo I've ever seen. It dates to October 10, 1981.
The Yankees single A team in Staten Island have a pitcher who can throw from both sides. Yes, he is a switch pitcher. He even has a glove that he can wear with both his left and right hands. It has 6 fingers and 2 pockets.
Now imagine a situation where a switch hitter faces off against this ambidextrous Baseball freak. Well, check out the video below to see the confusion.
This is great. XM Radio has a tool that allows you to make your very own personalized bobblehead. Go and check it out here. Below is my Nephew in Bobblehead form
There is one out in the top of the 11th inning. The game is tied 6 to 6 in a game that should have been won outright in regulation. Clayton Kershaw sure can't catch a break. This was his eighth start and probably his best performance so far.
Jeff Kent is up to bat. The future Hall of Famer is the one veteran on the team who knows what it takes to make it into the playoffs. After all, he's done it before. Pierre, Furcal, Jones and Garciaparra are currently stuck in "injury hell." We can't depend on them to come back and carry this team. Only Kent can do it. He must step up.
Kent is facing Wesley Wright with no one on base. With one mighty swing he lifts the ball deep into the left field stands for a homerun. This old codger appears to be picking up his pace. The Dodgers win the game shortly afterwards as Saito ups his save total to 13.
Jeff has recorded 5 hits the last 3 games, but is still hitting a paltry .261 for the season. If we are to make it into the playoffs then we need him to carry us. His 40 year old frame needs to do it one last time.
If we are to go to the World Series this year, as boldly predicted this afternoon on ESPN, then Kent must lead the way.
